People who grow up in snow country hear all the horror stories throughout their lives. You gain a lot of respect for winter and learn a lot of the basic rules of staying alive simply by all the outdoor play you do as a kid. (Ever talk the dumb kid into licking the metal fence post when it is below zero?). When in college at U of Wyoming, it was 30 below zero. A gal from the south, decided to go running. She died- froze her lungs. It is a funny thing- REALLY cold does not feel that cold when you first step out into it. That is what you learn when you grow up in these conditions.

Winter in the mountains outside SLC is real winter. Little mistakes that are only an inconvience in the summer can turn deadly in real winter. Personally, I think going out in the winter, without experience, by yourself, is downright stupid. There are tons of folks in SLC who are great winter hikers - find a group or a buddy to go with and learn the tricks of the trade. Go to one of the excellent outdoor stores in SLC and buy a book on winter backpacking. Learn winter camping a little at a time.

I used to teach winter climbing and survival - 3 weeks in the mountains of Wyoming in dead of winter. Even with that experience, much later, when I no longer had all my winter equipment, I decided to do an overnight winter backpack. I nearly froze my feet. I misjudged the softness of the new snow and it took twice as long to get back to the car even with snowshoes. Instead of buying the right boots, I thought I could make do. Big mistake. I really cannot overemphasise, that you really need to do it right in real winter conditions.